%^$COLUMBUS, Ohio– The Ohio State wrestling team turned its record around quickly Saturday by winning all four of its dual meets at the Buckeye Duals and saw its record climb to 4-3 overall and 0-0 in the Big Ten. There will be no rest for team as it prepares to battle five competitors in three days.%^$

%^$Keep on Rowlands %^$Tommy Rowlands (Fr., Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Ready) will enter the weekend as the reigning No. 1 wrestler in the nation at 285 pounds. Rowlands leads the Buckeyes with a 20-2 record and is 7-0 in duals.%^$

%^$”Tommy has been very steady for us,” Russ Hellickson, head coach for OSU, said. “You would like to have a seasoned veteran be that steady and he is only a freshman. The best part about him is he will give 100 percent every time he steps on the mat.”%^$

%^$Weekend Warriors %^$Staring Friday, OSU will begin a stretch of five-consecutive dual meets on three-consecutive days at three various locations.%^$

%^$”This weekend will be just how it is at the national tournament,” Hellickson said. “We will weigh-in and wrestle and repeat that process a few times in the same weekend. It will be a tough weekend but it is a true measure of where we are because we will be facing some tough teams.”%^$

%^$Scouting Pittsburgh %^$The Pittsburgh Panthers, a member of the Eastern Wrestling League, enters the dual with OSU ranked No. 22 in the nation with an overall mark of 3-1, 1-0 in the EWL. The last time UP competed, the Panthers scored an 18-15 victory over intrastate rival Penn State.%^$

%^$The Panthers are led by junior Dan Stine, senior Rob Loper and freshman Zach Doll. Stine has compiled an 11-3 overall and won the Wilkes Open Championship at 184 pounds. Dec. 29. He also was recently named the EWL Wrestler of the Week for his championship performance.%^$

%^$Loper, a national qualifier a year ago, also was honored as Wrestler of the Week , an honor he shared with Doll the same week. Loper stands 9-1 in the 133-pound weight class while Doll has compiled an 8-2 mark at 157.%^$

%^$Panthers vs. Buckeyes: The Series %^$With a national ranking of No. 22, head coach Rande Stottlemyer will look to lead the Panthers to victory over OSU for a fourth-consecutive meet. OSU and UP last met Jan. 16, 1999, with the Panthers scoring the 22-9 victory in Columbus.%^$

%^$The Panthers also enjoy the all-time series lead with an 8-7 advantage.%^$

%^$Scouting Northern Iowa %^$OSU will not only compete in its second dual in as many days, it also will battle with a team nicknamed the Panthers. UNI, led by first-year coach Brad Penrith, visits Columbus for the first time since 1996.%^$

%^$The Panthers are 4-4 overall and have been ranked No. 24 by Intermat in the latest polls. UNI, wrestling independent from a league, has been a powerhouse in the western region of the nation for many years. Dating back to 1981, the Panthers won the western regional team title 17 of 20 years and has captured the crown 15-consecutive years.%^$

%^$Leading UNI are three nationally ranked wrestlers. Sophomore heavyweight Paul Hynek leads the team with a No. 12 ranking and an 11-2 record.%^$

%^$Junior Kyle Hanson and senior Chad Bourdreaux are ranked No. 17 and No. 20, respectively. Hanson has posted a 9-3 record at 184-pounds. while Bourdreaux has marked a 7-5 record while competing at the 133 division.%^$

%^$UNI vs. OSU: The Series %^$OSU and UNI have met on the mat nine times with the Buckeyes holding the 5-4 series lead. When the series began, the Panthers opened with four-consecutive wins until the 1990-91 edition of the wrestling Buckeyes scored a 21-14 victory.%^$

%^$The Buckeyes won the team’s last meeting, a 34-6 victory, in Jan. 1996 at Cedar Falls, Iowa.%^$

%^$Scouting Ashland %^$Coach Ray Kowatch leads a 3-0 Ashland squad to Wendy’s Classic following a 32-3 defeat of Gannon. A dominant team in the ranks of Division II, the Eagles are ranked sixth in the nation.%^$

%^$Leading the way for AU are sophomore Chris Schalegal and junior Zach Davis. Schalegal stands 16-2 overall and is 3-0 in duals at 174 pounds. Davis is 14-2 and also is 3-0 in duals while competing at 165.%^$

%^$Eagles vs. Buckeyes: The Series %^$The Buckeyes and Eagles met at the Wendy’s Classic one year ago with Ashland scoring the 19-16 victory. The win snapped OSU’s 17-consecutive win streak over the Eagles and saw the series record go to 17-1.%^$

%^$Scouting Binghampton %^$BU’s coach Mike Fusilli looked to challenge his wrestlers this season and the Wendy’s Classic will not be an exception. The Bearcats will face three nationally-ranked opponents this weekend with duals against No. 7 Michigan, No. 24 Northern Iowa and OSU.%^$

%^$With a record of 2-6 overall, BU is led on the mat by two lower-weight wrestlers. Senior Andy Loux and freshman Patrick Griffin.%^$

%^$Loux, wrestling at 133-pounds, leads the team with a record of 15-6. Griffin is 11-6 overall in the 125 division.%^$

%^$Binghampton vs. OSU: Series %^$The dual between the Bearcats and the Buckeyes will mark the first meeting in the series.%^$

%^$Scouting Marquette %^$Under the guidance of 12th year coach Jim Schmitz, the Golden Eagles enter the Wendy’s Classic with a 1-3 record.%^$

%^$Leading the way for MU are senior Peter Butville, junior Brock Warder and freshman Phil Bronsteatter.%^$

%^$Butville competes at 165-pounds. with warder and Bronsteatter wrestling at 184 and 141, respectively.%^$

%^$MU vs. OSU: The Series %^$The Buckeyes and Golden Eagles have met once in their program’s histories. OSU scored a 52-0 defeat of MU in 1988 to take the 1-0 series lead.%^$

%^$Last Time Out %^$The Buckeyes played host to the Buckeye Duals and scored four dual wins on the day. OSU defeated Drexel, 29-6, Eastern Michigan, 35-6, Buffalo, 31-6 and Cleveland State, 39-3.%^$

%^$Performing well for OSU were five wrestlers who finished the day with perfect records in competition.%^$

%^$No. 1 Rowlands went 4-0 in the heavyweight division and scored a win by fall at 0:48 over Buffalo’s John Eschenfelder.%^$

%^$Keaton Anderson (So., Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington), 149 pounds, went 4-0 for the duals and raised his record to 15-1 overall and 7-0 in duals. He and Rowlands lead the team in dual wins with perfect 7-0 records.%^$

%^$John Clark (Fr., Canton, N.Y./Canton) recorded four decision victories at the opening weight class of 165-pounds to get the Buckeyes started on the right path.%^$

%^$Nick Preston (Jr., Columbus, Ohio/DeSales) scored three decisions and one win by fall at 197. With Preston, Rowlands and Kore Sharpley (Sr., Shaker Heights, Ohio/Shaker Heights) wrestling in consecutive matches, the trio combined to finish 12-0 on the day.%^$

%^$Sharpley scored three decision victories and a major decision at 125.%^$

%^$Robert Sessley (Jr., Columbus, Ohio/Beechcroft) rounded out the undefeated wrestlers when he won two matches by decision and two by major decision at 141 to help the Buckeyes along.%^$

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%^$Next Time Out %^$The Buckeyes return to action at noon Sunday, Jan. 21 when they close their non-conference schedule as well as opening Big Ten action for the season. OSU will play host to No. 22 North Carolina in the opening meet of the day and will competition with a dual against Big Ten foe Purdue. Both duals will be held at St. John Arena.